Issue Number
226 February
7, 2001
CONTENTS OF THIS ISSUE
- Shingles Prevention Study seeks volunteers
- Updated script for photographs of people with vaccine-preventable
diseases available on IAC's website
- Revised! "Labor and Delivery Unit Guidelines to Prevent
HBV Transmission" on IAC's website
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(1)
February 7, 2001
SHINGLES PREVENTION STUDY SEEKS VOLUNTEERS
The Shingles Prevention Study, directed by the U.S. Department of Veterans
Affairs in collaboration with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious
Diseases and Merck & Co., is seeking volunteers to test the effectiveness
of an experimental shingles vaccine.
According to the Shingles Prevention Study, shingles is a painful disease caused by varicella-zoster, the same virus
that causes chickenpox. After recovering from chickenpox, a person is immune from getting the disease
again, but the virus continues to live in the body in a dormant state. With
age, immunity wanes, and the virus can become active again, causing shingles.
Shingles can cause a prolonged, severe pain that may interfere with regular
activities and sleep. Pain that lasts for weeks, months, or even years--a complication called
postherpetic neuralgia--affects 20 percent of all people with shingles, and 40 percent of shingles patients over age
60. A person has a one-in-five chance of developing shingles during his or her lifetime.
This five-year study at 22 sites around the United States, including the NIH
Clinical Center, requires 37,200 volunteers nationwide. Participants must be
age 60 or older, in general good health, and have not had shingles.
For general information on the study, visit the NIAID website at http://www.niaid.nih.gov/shingles/
or call toll-free (877) 841-6251.
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(2)
February 7, 2001
UPDATED SCRIPT FOR PHOTOGRAPHS OF PEOPLE WITH VACCINE- PREVENTABLE DISEASES AVAILABLE ON IAC'S WEBSITE
Visit the website of the Immunization Action Coalition (IAC) for photographs of
people with vaccine-preventable diseases--accompanied by an updated script. These images graphically
display the physical effects of vaccine-preventable diseases, and the companion script provides facts about
the symptoms and complications of each disease. The script was recently revised to reflect new recommendations on influenza vaccine
and pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7), as well as other minor changes.
To view web images of the 31 available pictures, descriptive text, and instructions for downloading and ordering, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/photos/
To view higher resolution photos that are of presentation quality (image only,
no text), click on one of the three text links next to each image.
To download a camera-ready copy (PDF) of the text that accompanies these photos, go to: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/3010slid.pdf
To order a set of all 31 photographs as 35mm slides (with accompanying script), send your request and a check for $25
(in U.S. dollars) to the Immunization Action Coalition, 1573 Selby Ave., Suite 234, St. Paul, MN
55104. (For orders outside the U.S., please include an additional $10 for postage.)
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(3)
February 7, 2001
REVISED! "LABOR AND DELIVERY UNIT GUIDELINES TO PREVENT HBV TRANSMISSION" ON IAC'S WEBSITE
Visit IAC's website to obtain the most recent revision of "Labor and Delivery
Unit Guidelines to Prevent HBV Transmission," an educational guide for hospital staff. It
covers specific recommendations for labor and delivery units, as well as detailed guidelines for nursery units.
The minor revision to this publication makes it clear that mothers who test
positive for hepatitis B surface antigen can indeed breastfeed their infants, if
they so desire, even immediately following delivery.
This helpful resource is available on IAC's website in both web text (HTML)
and camera-ready (PDF) formats. Go to: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p2130.htm
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